US regulators aim to keep the ban on in-flight phone calls

By Associated Press | April 10, 2017 at 2:21 pmUPDATED: April 10, 2017 at 2:33 pm

FILE - In this Oct. 31, 2013, file photo, a passenger checks her cellphone before a flight in Boston. Federal regulators are poised to keep a ban on cellphone calls during flights. The Federal Communications Commission is looking to kill an effort it started in 2013 to lift the ban. Currently, passengers are allowed to use gadgets during flights, but cellular connections must be turned off. (AP Photo/Matt Slocum, File)

NEW YORK (AP) — Federal regulators aim to maintain the ban on in-flight cellular calls.

The Federal Communications Commission is looking to kill an effort it started in 2013 to give airlines the option of installing on-board cellular equipment for calls and other services.

FCC Chairman Ajit Pai appears to have enough votes to axe that plan, which he considers “ill-conceived.” Pei says keeping the cellular ban “will be a victory for Americans across the country who, like me, value a moment of quiet at 30,000 feet.”